“Count on it, brother.”
My brother’s thick, shoulder-length hair falls forward as he bows his head, then he leaves, his heavy footfalls echoing down the quiet hall.
Cate collects her handbag from the chair, the two of us falling into step as we make our way through the hospital. “Ogram is clearly very happy you were still in town for the birth.”
“What about you? Are you happy I’m still here?”
Without breaking pace, she looks up at me, a coy smile on her lips. “Was my happiness earlier not obvious enough?”
Amusement rumbles in my chest, and my cock thickens at the praise. Engaging in sexual banter would lower the stakes between us. Be an easy way out. I don’t want out. I want all the way in.
Looking forward again, she remains silent for the duration of our exit from the hospital. Outside, she takes a deep breath of the cool night air, exhaling slowly as she stops on the sidewalk.“I’m going to walk home. Use the time to decompress and clear my head so I can sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.”
“I’ll walk with you, then come back for the car afterward.”
She shakes her head. “Harmony Glen is as safe as it’s always been, and it’s only a few blocks to my place. Plus, I doubt I’ll accomplish any decompressing or head-clearing if you’re with me. You’re very distracting.” Smiling up at me, she presses her palms to my chest.
There’s more to it, but it can wait. As long as it takes, I’ll wait. “And you are my favorite distraction,” I say, wrapping my arms around her and leaning down to claim her mouth.
Our connection ignites instantly. Her lips part, her tongue teasing my tusks, inciting a hungry growl that mixes with her soft, breathy moan.
“You better let me go,” she whispers against my mouth.
“Made that mistake once. Don’t intend to make it again.”
She pulls back, her eyes wide open as they meet mine. No words pass through her parted lips. She just blinks up at me.
“I respect your need to be alone right now, but there are things I need to say to you. Want to say to you. Things I should’ve said a long time ago. Whenever you’re ready to hear them.”
She nods. No words. No movement. Barely a blink.
The bubble bursts when a car pulls up a few feet away. A woman hurries out of a rear door, then opens the front passenger door and carefully helps a frail older woman out of the vehicle. “Put your arm around me, Mom.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” the silver-haired woman says in a trembling voice.
“You’ll never have to worry about that because I’ll always be here for you.”
Cate and I remain still as statues, watching the women disappear into the hospital. When I look at her, her eyes shinewith unshed tears. I don’t have to ask the reason. We were together when her mother became terminally ill eight years ago, suddenly and far too young. I held Cate through the long nights when, no matter how strong she tried to be, she couldn’t keep the grief at bay.
When I pull her close now, she lets me provide that comfort again, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek to my chest.
“Sorry,” she whispers.
“Never apologize for loving deeply and forever.”
She nods against my t-shirt, her breath stuttering as if fighting back a sob. “I’m exhausted all a sudden. Would you drop me off on your way to the cabins?”
“Anything you want,” I say, and I mean it. And as soon as the time is right, I’m going to tell her.
Chapter Ten
GRÜSH
My excitement isn’t for my brother or the nephew I’m about to meet. It’s for Cate. I didn’t want to say good night when I dropped her off. I didn’t want to sleep without her one more night or wake up without her one more morning.
Now that I know where I want to be, where I’m meant to be, it’s hard to keep my distance. Even harder to believe I stayed away for six fucking years.
At least it’s not too late for us. She hasn’t given her heart to someone else. The only question is whether she’ll entrust it to me again.
